Batman Themeing - CoasterBuzz

I was disapointed when on my most recent trip to Magic Mountain, I discovered that the Batmobile and Shot-up police car had not yet returned to complete the Gotham Experience. This is especially hard on me since I am an avid Keaton/Burton Batman Movies fan. A great portion of the ride experience was lost when I first noticed they were removed last year. I was totoally blown away by the refined theming that went into developing this ride, way back when I first rode from the entire Gotham Backlot construction built soley for this ride, to the monitors displaying classic B:TR ride images in the Station and light effects, which also have been displaying plain blue screens for the past few years. (Just put the tape in the damn VCR). Can anyone explain why Magic Mountain is slowly and metholdically killing the experience? I was thinking it was maybe to supply the newer Batman themed rides being constructed around the world with irreplaceable theming objects that can no longer be made. Or perhaps Magic Mountain is just good at bad theming?

Six Flags.
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Titan Laps: 183

Xander said:
"Six Flags."

I have to agree with you on this one. Six flags needs some help with themeing at all their parks.
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Where has the magic gone in the name Disney?

The original batman at SFGAm still has all its original themeing and I hope it stays that way, The blue barricades in the first portion of the line though need some work, they were starting to fall down on the last day of the season. I don't know why Six Flags would take themeing away from a ride, it makes no sense.
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Personally I was never really impressed with Batman's theming, or any other theming done within SF parks(except possibly Mr. Freeze, which is nicely done). SF can theme their coasters well if they want to, but the attempts seem half- hearted at best. Paramount is even worse IMO, with everything geared to sell their cheesy movies and tv shows. So unless I'm in Disney or Universal, I'm not caring about theming much, especially when it's not going to be maintained and presented properly. Just build the darn coaster and run three darn trains.
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2001:The downfall of Disney. The year they stopped asking the mouse for his opinion.

Well at least Paramount knows how to do some scenery

*** This post was edited by DrachenFire04 on 2/10/2002. ***

I think the theming at SFGRAm is really cool, especially the graffiti wall. I sure hope they don't take the theming out.
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Beer, My Baby, and Coasters. Is this a great country or what? ;)

cd316: THE Batman:The Ride does NOT have all the original themeing anymore either. I remember the first time I rode it, when you walked thru the "sewer tunnel" it was filled with fog. Also in the station, just before the train was dispatched, the floor would be bathed in fog so as to obscure the floor dropping away. When the fog went away, the floor was already several inches lower.

I thought that was so cool
jeremy
--"Can I call you Donnie?"

You have to hand it to them though...

No matter how crappy, unkept, unclean, or dirty the Batman rides get, they will still fit the theming.

Who needs to scrape gum, sweep lines or re-paint when the ride is designed to look junky, right?

Sheesh!

Shaggy - Who LOVES Batman by the way...

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Shaggy
A.K.A. John K.

2Hostyl said:
cd316: THE Batman:The Ride does NOT have all the original themeing anymore either. I remember the first time I rode it, when you walked thru the "sewer tunnel" it was filled with fog. Also in the station, just before the train was dispatched, the floor would be bathed in fog so as to obscure the floor dropping away. When the fog went away, the floor was already several inches lower.

In addition to this, there used to be fog in the brake run area. After the train came to a stop, it would begin advancing to the station and fog would be "spraying" in from both sides. That was kept at least through the 1996 season, though by that time the other fog areas Jeremy described were gone.

-Nate

*** This post was edited by coasterdude318 on 2/10/2002. ***

Well maybe they will bring back the fog for its 10th anniversy. They made it sound like they were doing somehting special for the ride at No Coaster Con, maybe it can follow in American Eagle's footsteps and go backwards, It would be the first of its kind and the first of its kind backwards.That would be fun but higly doubtful. I wish they would give the Batmobile its full platform again I dont like how it is right now. I have to say the themeing of Batman makes me love the ride so much more and I jsut watched the first 2 movies (the before the ride and the shortly after the ride) today and it got me even more excited to ride on may 4 (BTW does anyone know what day the movie came out in 1992?)
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SFMM's B:TR had the tv's playing when I went in summer of 2000. But in April of 2001 ( spring break I might add) they were on but just said, "Video 1" SO obiosuly they turned them on but didn't bother to put the tape in. The smoke effect also dissapeared in 2001.

the Batman at SFStL is really well themed...the gotham city park area is HUGE!
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Is it the roar of Kumba or the kumba of Roar? Discuss!

I have a feeling that the removal of the shot up police car had to do with being politically correct.

I think the theme is very good on Batman, but I never saw it in its 'glory days.'

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Xcelerator-
0-82 in 2.3 seconds! =Wow!

Politically correct perhaps, but when it sat there a while and remains at some parks, and I really dont see how uncorrect it is. My theory, they are transplanting them to parks with new batman coasters opening because theres no point in keeping them here anymore, from a managorial point of view.

Theming at Six Flags is a joke. The best themed area in the parks is probably Gotham City, but it only looks appropriate because it's supposed to be vandalized and un-maintained. The less Six Flags does to it, the better it looks.

DarkHelmet said:
Theming at Six Flags is a joke. The best themed area in the parks is probably Gotham City, but it only looks appropriate because it's supposed to be vandalized and un-maintained. The less Six Flags does to it, the better it looks.

I wouldn't say that I like the Southwest Territory 's theme at SFGAm

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CoasterDude316 said:

I wouldn't say that I like the Southwest Territory 's theme at SFGAm
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I have to agree with this. Southwest Territory is pretty much the complete package. Overall theming in that area is very consistant from ride to ride. It has a great selection of rides for every type of rider, has ample eating facilities and shopping facilities. Basically Southwest Territory is like a mini park the way each themed area in that parks should be.
Back to the subject of the thread, IMHO when Batman first opened I was blown away by the theming. I honestly thought it was the most awesome thing I had ever seen. It is now 10 years later, several other parks have opened rides with way better theming (albeit not at a SF park) and Batman's theming doesnt cut it with the total market now. That is not SF fault. It is just 10 year old technology. (I actually still love it). Now why they didnt superhero theme V2 and make the entire Yankee Harbor area into a Gotham City I will never know. They could have made two decent themed areas in that park.

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Bob Hansen

"Excuse me while I kick the sky!"
kickthesky@hotmail.com